1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compact coin denomination discriminating device which can discriminate the denominations of a plurality of coins that are received in bulk, based on the diameter, material and thickness of the coins. The present invention also relates to a coin recycling machine which holds received coins of different denominations in holders according to denomination, and dispenses a specified number of coins in response to an instruction from a related machine.
2. Description of Related Art
The term “coin” used herein embraces currency coins, medallions, tokens and medals, which may be circular or polygon in shape.
In Japanese Patent No. 2,769,410, coins are sent one by one to a coin conveyance path when latched by a pin projecting from a turn table that turns within a hopper. Coin denomination is discriminated based on a diameter acquired by a coin diameter detecting unit during conveyance by the turn table pin. A coin pushing member is activated based on the timing detecting unit disposed before individual denomination-based coin storages in the coin conveyance path. When a coin denomination is determined, the coin is caused to drop into a corresponding coin storage location.
In Japanese Patent No. 3,198,288, a resin wiper is rotatably disposed between a base casing and a lid member made from plastic mold, each of the base casing and the lid member is provided with a detection coil, and a medal is pushed against a reference plane of the wiper by a guiding piece having a guiding portion which is an arc formed toward the center from the circumference of the wiper. Data concerning the material and diameter of a metallic medal is acquired by detection coils.
In Japanese Patent No. 2,769,410, since the denomination of a coin is discriminated only by a diameter measurement acquired from a coin diameter detector, there is a measurement problem that the accuracy in the discrimination of a specific denomination may be poor.
Since the discrimination of the coin relies only on the diameter, coins of the same diameter would be discriminated as real coins regardless of the material or thickness, and determined as a denomination corresponding to that diameter, so that there arises a problem that fake coins cannot be discriminated.
Additionally, the coin diameter detector is implemented by an optical sensor.
Since a metal chain is used as coin conveying means, if a magnetic sensor that is commonly used for discriminating coin denomination is used, the magnetic sensor could be influenced by the metal chain, so that accurate discrimination cannot be achieved.
In Japanese Patent No. 3,198,288, if the processing speed of coin discrimination is increased, a medal may leave a reference plane due to centrifugation force because the medal is elastically pushed toward the rotary center from the circumference by a wiper, which may interfere with an accurate detection.
In addition, when coins of different diameters are inserted, accuracy of diameter detection cab be poor because the guiding portion of medal must be arcuate. In other words, erroneous discrimination may occur when a plural denominations of coins having different diameters are attempted to be discriminated.